Improvement in croquet-arches



I FREDRICK M. CLARKE.

Croquet Arch.

Patented August 8, 1871.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CROQUET-ARCHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,865, dated August8, 1871.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK M. CLARKE,

resident of WVashington, county of I/Vashington,

District of Columbia, have invented a new and useful Improvement inCroquet-Arches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making partof this specification.

In the employment of the ordinary U-shaped croquet-arches muchdifficulty has been experienced in properly setting them in the ground,owing to the fact that the small. size of the wire used renders itimpossible to grasp them tightly with the hands for the purpose ofthrusting them in, and their rounded upper outlineprecludes allpossibility of driving them down with the mallets. Many attempts havebeen made to obviate this objection, the most common means being aseries of short pegs which is driven into the ground, said pegs havingvertical holes, in which the legs of the arches are inserted. These pegsfall very far short of accomplishing the end for which they weredesigned, as the holes are liable to become tilled with dirt and otherobstructions, and are not easily removed when once put down, whereas itis frequently desirable to carry the croquet from place to place, andalso'to arrange the arches in different positions on the same ground.With a view to remedy the above defects I have made this invention,which consists essentially in constructing a croquet-arch of suchconfiguration that it shall present a shoulder, angle, or other suitableopposingface or projection adapted to receive a blow, or to furnish asuitable support against a downward pressure, which may be employed forthrusting or driving the legs of said arch into the ground or othersupport which may be employed to maintain it (the arch) in a verticalposition.

Having thus described the nature of my invention, I will now proceed todescribe one form which I have adopted for carrying it out.

In the drawing the arch is represented with two shoulders, one to eachleg, made by bending the wire outward at such distance from the crown ofthe arch as it (the arch) is desired to extend above the surface of theground, as at A, and then downward, as at B, forming shanks B C ofsuitable length to be driven into the ground.

In practice I usually make the shoulder A 13 about one and a half inchin length, so that it can be readily pushed into the ground with thefoot, or driven in by a few blows from a mallet or its equivalent. Asthe shoulders can be driven down closely to the ground they will offerno obstruction to the passage of the balls in close proximity to thearch proper.

I do not wish to be confined to the construction here shown, as manymodifications may be made for accomplishing the same end withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention 5 as, for example, the leg ofthe arch may be provided with a projecting spur, as shown in dottedlines, or a knob, which will be practically the equivalent of theshoulder, shown in the drawing.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

A croquet-arch, provided with a projecting shoulder, spur, or equivalentdevice, for adapting it to be driven or forced into the ground, as setforth.

F. M. CLARKE.

Witnesses:

EDM. 1?. BROWN, H. H. DOUBLEDAY.

